Astros' Bagwell exits early with shoulder pain

Despite soreness, he hopes to play field again today

BRIAN MCTAGGART, Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle |
March 22, 2006

LAKELAND, FLA. - For the second time in a week, Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell was forced to leave a spring training game because of soreness in his ailing right shoulder.

Coming off the team's scheduled off day, Bagwell had hoped to play at least five innings in the field Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers, but left after two innings.

Shoulder soreness also forced Bagwell to leave a game after two innings March 14.

"I didn't feel that great today," Bagwell said. "I knew it was going to be a battle and it got to the point of 'What am I doing? What's the point?' Just to go out there and force it, there's no reason. I'm going to look at it as sometimes a day off doesn't do me well.

"It's better for me to keep throwing and keep everything going (in the shoulder) otherwise it kind of tightens up. Once I got my two at-bats, that was good enough."

As he did last week, Bagwell downplayed his early exit and said he plans to try to play first base again when the Astros meet the Cleveland Indians at 6 p.m. today at Osceola County Stadium.

Astros manager Phil Garner said he planned to talk to Bagwell further before he determined a schedule for the rest of the week.

"Obviously, it's not great," said Bagwell, who went 0-for-1 with a walk in the 10-7 loss. "I wish I could have been out there for six or seven innings, but that's not the way it was going to work today. We'll see what tomorrow brings."

Bagwell has played 16 innings at first base this spring but has yet to have to make an overhand throw in the field to test his shoulder. He made some throws in warmups, but never felt good.

"Some days, off days don't do the best for me," he said.

Bagwell, 37, the Astros' all-time leader in home runs and RBIs, has been bothered by a degenerative right shoulder condition since 2001. He played through right shoulder pain until last May and underwent surgery in June. The Astros, on the recommendation of two doctors, consider Bagwell a disabled player and filed an insurance claim in January to recoup $15.6 million of the $17 million he will earn this year.